Wall structure



' Nov. 2, 1937. H. E. MARKS WALL STRUCTURE Filed July 5, 1935 2Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES ATTORNEYS,

Patented Nov. :2,

D-STA PATEN OFFICE- I w wmz:::;;u I t I V E. maria, Sewlckley, r MApplication July 5, 19 35 SerlalNo. 29,816 scum. (can-4a) This inventionrelates to wall structures, and p more particularly to partition walls.a y In erecting partitionwalls it is the general practice to first buildup a supportingframework extending from floor to ceiling, and-to thenattach plaster-supporting means of some kind, such as wood or wire lathor.v plasterboard, to both sides of the framework, after which plasterisapplied. Erecting a wall in this manner involves a considerable amountof time and labor to handle and fasten together the numerous parts. Furethermore, when the distance from floor to ceiling is not uniformthroughout thelength of the wall,

the upright members may have. to be cut of! or pieced to compensate forthe irregularities; This requires still more time and labor and oftenresults in.a wall of unpleasing appearance.

Itis among the objects of invention to provide a wall structurewhich-can be quickly and easily erected, in which hoth'sides ofthe wallare formed simultaneously, in which irregu larlties in thedistance fromfloor to ceiling are automatically taken care of, and in which alljoints are tight and durable."

5 The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in whichl'ig. 1 is aside elevation of a portion of a wall; m dis-amend view taken"on the line 11-11 of. 1; Big. 3- is a perspective view of one of thewall panels shown in the preceding figures; Fig. 4 is a side elevationof a modified ent of theinvention; is a'horizontal section takenonthe-linelF-Vof ls- 4; n a t- 81m wed asme r vertical section taken ontheline of Hg, 5. 35 Referring to Figs. 1 and 2,01. the drawings, theweb of a metal channel I ls secured in any suitable manner to the floor.2 along the linewhere the wall is to be erected, with theside flanges 3of the channel projecting upwardly.

40 Secured to the ceiling 4 directly above this channel is another.metal channel I thesideflanges 'l of which project downwardly. Thesehorizontal upper and lower channels are the only supporting members forthe wall, and serve the purpose of 45 the built-up frameworkusedheretofore.

The main portion of the wall is formed of prefabricated panel members 8the ends of which are disposed between the vertical side flanges of thechannels by which the panels are supported in 50 upright position. Thetwo outer surfaces of each panel are substantially identicalinappearance and form the opposite sidwor the wall, thereby mahng itunnecessary to panel first one side of the wall and then the other. Asiashown in Pig. 2, 55, the panels do not engage the web of upper chap-tnel 6, but are spaced therefrom a distance greater than the width offlanges; of the lower channel.

Also, flanges 1 of the upper channel are considerablywider than fianges3 in order to overlap the upper ends of the panels. 1

This construction permits the wall to be quickly and easily erected bymounting the panels in the supporting channels after the latter havebeen 'securedin position. That is, the upper end of each panelis'inserted between the flanges of the 10 upper channel, and the panelis then raised until its lower end clears the, tops of flanges 3.. Thelower end is then swung inwardly until the panel is in a vertical plane,whereupon the. panel is lowered until it rests on the webof the lower 15channel, asshown in Fig. 2. The flanges 01' the upper channel aresufflclently resilient to yield the necessary slight amountwhen theupper end ofa panel is inserted between them at-a slight ang1e beforethe lower end can beiswung into position, and to gripthe panel after itis in posi- ,tion. Preferably, the lower edges of upper flanges 'wallsurfaces of adjoining panels in the same parallel vertical planes, oneside of each panel is provided with a tongue, H formed by bending oneverticaledge of the metal sheet outwardly and overlapping it withthe-opposite edge and v the opposite edge of the panel is provided witha tongue-receivingrflroove l2. \The tongues and grooves of adjoiningpanels register with each other in an obvious manner when the panels areplaced side by side in the wall, whereby the panels are prevented frommoving, transversely relative to one another. i a

To lock the panels together, two diametrically opposite corners of eachpaneiare provided with hook-like members which maybe integral with thepanels or attached thereto, such as by weld ing. The hooks I3 at thebottom of the panels open upwardly while the hooks" M at the top opendownwardly, andthey are all spaced the thickness of the sheet metal fromthe panels to which they are attached. 'Consequently, just priortolowering a panel into the lower channel it is moved up tight against thepreceding panel which is already in position sothat when thefirstmentioned panel is lowered one lower edge slides down behindlowerhooks .13 on the adjoining panel slide down over the upper edge of thesecond panel.

A wall constructed in accordance with this invention can be quickly andeasily erected in the manner just described without the use of tools orfastening members. It can likewise be re moved just as easily, which isparticularly advantageous when usedin ofllce buildings where partitionwalls are frequently taken out and rebuilt in different locations toform oflices of various sizes. Another advantage is that panels of astandard size can be used even though the distance from floor to ceilingis not uniform throughout the length of the wall. For example, if theceiling is lower at one end than at the other, the panels merely extendup into the upper channel a little further at the low end. The panelsare securely locked together against move- :ment away fromeachnother inany horizontal direction. If desired, before the panels leave thefactory they can be filled with insulating material and their endsclosed in any suitable manner.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 the panels 20 are madeof plaster boards spaced apart by vertically disposed members. As shownin Fig. 5, two inner plaster boards 2| are spaced apart by two pairs of.vertical channelsfl. The two channels of each pair have transverselycorrugated websthat are rigidly secured together such as by welding. Theinner boards are connected to these upright channels by means of nails23 driven through some of the spaces between the corrugations andclinched over the boards. Additional strength and rigidity is given toeach panel by cementing an outer'board 24 to each inner board. The outerboards donot coincide with the inner boards, but are ofiset sidewaysrelative thereto, that is, they extend past the inner boards along onevertical edge and the inner boards extend past the outer boards alongthe opposite edge.

These panels are placed in floor and ceiling channels, 26 and 21,respectively, in the same manner as the sheet metal panels previouslydescribed, but they are not provided with hooks for locking themtogether. Instead, the overlapping edge portions of the plaster boardsare coated with a suitable adhesive and the panels are then pushedtogether, whereby they are cemented together at their joints. The lapjoints thus formed retain the outer surfaces of the panels in the samevertical planes so that smooth tight joints are formed.

Each end of the wall is preferably strengthened by an uprightreinforcing channel '28 rigidly connected in any suitable manner to astud or the like (not shown) at the end of the wall. The

flanges of. this channel engage the inner surfaces of either the inneror the outer wall boards forming'the adjoining panel, depending upon atwhich end of the wall the channel is disposed.

If desired, a reinforcing member of this general nature may also be usedin the wall of Fig. 1.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained theprinciple and construction of my invention and have illustrated anddescribed what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However,I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appendedclaims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specificallyillustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A wall structure comprising substantially horizontal upper and lowerchannel members panel while upper hooks l4 on the first-mentioned havingtheir side flanges extending toward each other in substantially the sameparallel vertical planes, and a plurality of'panel members supported inupright position by and between said side flanges, each of said panelscomprising upright channel members with their webs rigidly connectedtogether, said webs being provided with transverse corrugations, plasterboards disposed against the side flanges of. said upright channels, andfastening members extending between the corrugations of said webs andconnecting the plaster boards to the upright channels.

2. A wall structure comprising substantially horizontal upper and lowerchannel members having their side flanges extending toward each other insubstantially the same parallel vertical planes, a plurality of panelmembers supported in upright position by and between said side flanges,each of said panels comprising upright channel members with their websrigidly connectedtogether, said webs being provided with transversecorrugations, a plaster board disposed against each-side of said uprightchannels, fastening members extending between the corrugations of saidwebs and connecting said boards to the upright channels, and a plasterboard cemented to the outer face of each of said firstmentioned boards.

3. A wall structure comprising substantially horizontal upper and lowerchannel members first-mentioned boards, the outer boards extending pastthe inner boards along one vertical edge and the inner boards extendingpast the outer boards along theopposite edge.

4. A portable wall panel comprising a pair of upright metal channelmembers having their webs rigidly connected together, said webs beingcorrugated transversely to form openings between them, an innerwall-board disposed against the side flanges of thechannels at each sideof the channels, fastening members extending through said boards andsaid openings for connecting the boards to the channels, and an outerwall-board cemented to the outer face of each of said inner boards andoffset sideways relative thereto.

5. A portable wall panel comprising a pair of upright metal channelmembers having their webs rigidly connected together, said webs beingcorrugated transversely to form openings between them, a wall-boarddisposed against the side flanges of the channels at each side of thechannels, and nails driven through said boards and frictionally engagingsaid channels in said openings for connecting the boards to thechannels.

6. A wall structure comprising substantially horizontal upper and lowerchannel members having their side flanges extending toward each otherwith the lower edges of the upper channel member turned outwardly andupwardly, and

a plurality of panel members supported in upright pomtion by and betweensaid side flanges, each of said panels comprising upright channelmembers having their webs rigidly connected together, said webs beingprovided with transverse corrugations, plaster boards disposed againstthe side flanges oi said upright channels, and fastening membersextending between the corrugations of said webs and connecting theplasterd boards to the upright channels.

'I. A wall structure-comprising substantially horizontal upper and lowerchannel members having their side flanges extending toward each other.and a plurality of panel members supported in upright position by andbetween said side flanges, the web of said upper channel member beingspaced from the tops of the panels a distance greater than the width ofthe side flanges of the lower channel, each said panels comprisingupright channel members having their webs connected together, said websbeing provided with transvelse corrugations, plaster boards disposedagainst the side flanges of said upright channels, and fastening membersextending between the corrugations oi said webs and connecting theplaster boards to the upright channels.

8. A wall structure comprising substantially horizontal upper and lowerchannel members having their side flanges extending toward each other insubstantially the same parallel vertical planes, and a plurality 01panel members supported in upright position by and between said sideflanges. the web of said upper channel member being spaced from the topsof the panels a distance greater than the width 01' the side flanges ofthe lower channel with the flanges of the upper channel resilientlygripping the upper ends of the panels, each of said panels comprisingupright channel members having their webs connected together, said websbeing provided with transverse corrugations, plaster boards disposedagainst the side flanges of said upright channels, and fastening membersextendingbetween the corrugations of said webs and connecting-theplaster boards to the upright channels.

T E. MARKS.

